License files

When you purchase GitHub Enterprise, you're given a license file to validate your application. A license file has an expiration date and controls the number of user accounts that can connect to your GitHub Enterprise instance.

Once you downloaded and install GitHub Enterprise, the license file unlocks the application for you to use. It also allows you to access the Management Console for the first time. The GitHub Enterprise license file ends with the .ghl extension.

If your GitHub Enterprise license expires:

You won't be able to access your GitHub Enterprise instance via a web browser.